Officium Triste – Hortus Venenum

Most reviewers at MER have a guilty pleasure, and for some reason, many of us are deeply into the Emo Rock of extreme Metal: Death/Doom. So when something sad hits the mailbox, we all fight for it! Enter Officium Triste, a band that, in Hortus Venenum, is planning to throw a mix of misery, melancholy, and despair at us. All of this is wrapped in a melodic package that could make even the toughest guys cry. But does it succeed in reaching your inner traumas? Grab your pills, and let’s dive into this sea of denial.

Imagine combining Décembre Noir, Swallow the Sun, and October Tide, then giving them the production style of a Skepticism album (not the old ones—that’s just atrocious in all the right ways). That’s what you get with Hortus Venenum: it’s depressive and sorrowful, but with an organic and muddy production that shows a band committed to a style, regardless of how it approaches the songwriting. This album feels like slowly bleeding out in the forest, with rain falling on your face and a cold wind blowing hard, reminding you that you’re leaving this world soon. The cover art, for once, does Hortus Venenum justice.

You get all the signature moves of Finnish Death/Doom, despite the band hailing from a Europe’s largest port city (Google where that is; you’ll learn something, peasant!). The melodic lines make you feel things you thought you couldn’t anymore, the deep, pitch-black vocals stick to one sensation: pain, and the drums sound as if they were recorded in another room. In fact, sometimes the whole album feels like you’re listening from outside the rehearsal room, which has its appeal, especially since most Death/Doom is more overproduced than a hot dog. But let’s talk about the things that could make you truly sad, not just sad for fun!

There are two simple things you need to be prepared for to enjoy Hortus Venenum. First, get used to a production style that, while organic, might alienate those who want their Death/Doom polished. Second, you’ve been here before. Many of the ideas explored in Hortus Venenum are typical of the sub-genre, so despite its reliability, don’t expect anything you haven’t experienced before. It’s an extremely consistent release, and sometimes that means sticking to what works.

So, are you feeling sentimental? Do you want to embrace the loss and despair you felt the last time someone stole your lunch at work? (Pro tip: get good with spicy food, and this will never happen again.) Then Hortus Venenum will offer something solid and reliable to wipe your tears with. It won’t change your life, but it’ll make it more bearable for a few moments. It’s the autumn album for those of you who live in places that actually have autumn. (Does the Netherlands even have that anymore? That place is warm!) Soon, it’ll rain, and this album will fit the mood here perfectly.

Label: Transcending Obscurity

Release date: 6 September, 2024

Website: https://www.facebook.com/officiumtriste

Country: Netherlands

Score: Slow poison through your veins, or 3.5/5.0